Solution to Sith in-fighting - 1v1 RITUAL COMBAT

[Samaul]

There is a simple solution to the eternal problem of self-destructive Sith in-fighting.

 

1v1 RITUAL COMBAT

 

Accept the violent nature of the Sith, celebrate and embrace it. Allow them to settle their differences in tightly-controlled 1v1 ritual combat. This should be honorable combat, allow only Sith who have completed their training to participate. Make the penalty for fighting outside of the arena, death and dishonor. Allow Sith to challenge their way all the way up to emperor under strict conditions. Ritual combat to determine succession and to settle differences is consistent with Sith teachings of the survival of the strongest and most powerful, while eliminating the weak from their ranks.

 

The Sith and the Empire remain strong but can no longer plunge the Sith Empire into civil war to settle their differences. The need for the phony rule of two is eliminated.

 

If you are looking for a precedent for this in the canon refer to the old republic novels. You will note that there is ritual combat at the Sith training academy on Korriban. I am baffled that it does not continue with the sith themselves.

 

This will work well in the lore and in the game. The empire survives and the Sith can continue to kill each other though in a much more controlled fashion. Make it happen Lucas Arts (Disney)/Bioware.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Samaul

[Bleeters]

This should be honorable combat

Most Sith don't know the meaning of the word.

[StarMagus]

The need for the phony rule of two is eliminated.

 

The rule of 2 doesn't show up for like 2 thousand more years.

[Lesaberisa]

To use technological terminology, Sith in-fighting is not a 'bug', it's a feature. Or "working as intended". Edited November 5, 2013 by Lesaberisa

[Samaul]

To use technological terminology, Sith in-fighting is not a 'bug', it's a feature. Or "working as intended".

Exactly. Why fight their nature? Embrace the dark side, it is the Sith way. Let them fight, but use it to settle differences and sucession.

[Samaul]

Most Sith don't know the meaning of the word.

 

Honor is relative. It means one thing for a sith, another for a jedi. I think you know what I mean by honorable. Instead of assassination, just fight it out face to face. There would be no rules, fight to the death, to the victor go the spoils. The sith way. A true Sith should welcome the opportunity to publicly dispose of an enemy.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Samaul

[Frenesi]

Ability to assassinate enemy, especially using proxy, is show of power as well. Rules and honor? They mostly restrain power without any rational reason, so they dont exist for most of the sith. Survival in sith politic games requires much more then personal might, and is better test then any form of duels.

 

Actually, there is special ritualistic sith duel, but it's not much different from all-out war between participants. Becouse if you can't control and use your resources, you are weak, no matter how stong in the force you are. Existing system is perfect for sith as order, so it will never change, even after the rule of two.

[Bleeters]

Honor is relative. It means one thing for a sith, another for a jedi. I think you know what I mean by honorable. Instead of assassination, just fight it out face to face. There would be no rules, fight to the death, to the victor go the spoils. The sith way. A true Sith should welcome the opportunity to publicly dispose of an enemy.

Yes, but you're still asking people who by definition lie, manipulate and decieve their way to power as much as anything else to submit to the idea of 'honourable combat'.

 

Heck, the fundamental idea sounds essentially like a more personal version of the Kaggath - rather than power base vs power base, it's just one against one. Even a rigidly staunch traditionalist like Thanaton was fine with such a thing right up until the point that he was about to lose, at which point he resorted to the usual Sith method: cheating.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Bleeters

[Samaul]

Yes, but you're still asking people who by definition lie, manipulate and decieve their way to power as much as anything else to submit to the idea of 'honourable combat'.

 

Heck, the fundamental idea sounds essentially like a more personal version of the Kaggath - rather than power base vs power base, it's just one against one. Even a rigidly staunch traditionalist like Thanaton was fine with such a thing right up until the point that he was about to lose, at which point he resorted to the usual Sith method: cheating.

You are making assumptions about ritual combat that do not necessarily apply to the sith. There would be many opportunities for subterfuge and manipulation associated with ritual combat. Having an ally bait a rival into ritual combat so they could eliminate them for example. Throw away your assumptions, embrace the dark side of ritual combat.

[Samaul]

Ability to assassinate enemy, especially using proxy, is show of power as well. Rules and honor? They mostly restrain power without any rational reason, so they dont exist for most of the sith. Survival in sith politic games requires much more then personal might, and is better test then any form of duels.

 

Actually, there is special ritualistic sith duel, but it's not much different from all-out war between participants. Becouse if you can't control and use your resources, you are weak, no matter how stong in the force you are. Existing system is perfect for sith as order, so it will never change, even after the rule of two.

Assassination is for the weak. If one sith suspects another of hiring the assassin, a challenge might be in order. I doubt assassination would disappear but there needs to be a way to decide succession and settle differences in the sith empire. Having the dark council vote on a successor for the emperor? Democratic Sith?

 

No, let them fight for the prize. Lets find out who is truly deserving of it.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Samaul

[StarMagus]

"Why doesn't Bioware change the fundamental way sith work and instead make the game..... Star Wars: The Highlandering. There can be only 1!"

 

 

 

Here we are, born to be kings,

We're the princes of the universe.

 

Here we belong, fighting to survive

In a world with the darkest powers.

 

And here we are, we're the princes of the universe

Here we belong, fighting for survival

We've come to be the rulers of your world.

 

I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings.

I have no rival, no man can be my equal

Take me to the future of your world.

Edited November 5, 2013 by StarMagus

[Samaul]

The interesting thing is that if you have read the novels associated with SWTOR, there is ritual combat at the Sith training academy that is sometimes to the death. Why does this not continue with the sith after the academy?

[Darkelefantos]

You're right, this is perfect. It turns all Sith in-fighting into open conflict. I'm sure this will solve all of the Empire's problems immediately.

[Samaul]

You're right, this is perfect. It turns all Sith in-fighting into open conflict. I'm sure this will solve all of the Empire's problems immediately.

 

Always in motion, the future.

[Bleeters]

You are making assumptions about ritual combat that do not necessarily apply to the sith. There would be many opportunities for subterfuge and manipulation associated with ritual combat. Having an ally bait a rival into ritual combat so they could eliminate them for example.

...Then how is this any better? If the problem is Sith infighting, the solution is not Sith infighting.

[StarMagus]

...Then how is this any better? If the problem is Sith infighting, the solution is not Sith infighting.

 

Putting on my Republic Hat, the idea of Sith Killing off each other by the buckets in Ritual Combat that is approved rather than only being able to pick off one or two rivals every decade after tons of work to make is so that they can't be blamed seems perfect!

[Samaul]

Putting on my Republic Hat, the idea of Sith Killing off each other by the buckets in Ritual Combat that is approved rather than only being able to pick off one or two rivals every decade after tons of work to make is so that they can't be blamed seems perfect!

 

Your lack of imagination disturbs me.

 

What we have now is civil war with sith lords private armies slaughtering each other over petty rivalries. Battle cruisers, fighters, infantry, vehicles, everything wasted when a simple 1v1 fight would settle it.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Samaul

[BrianDavion]

The interesting thing is that if you have read the novels associated with SWTOR, there is ritual combat at the Sith training academy that is sometimes to the death. Why does this not continue with the sith after the academy?

 

because if you step back and read the CONTEXT this wasn't ritual combat. it was just sparring dureing a training exercise.

[wishihadaname]

You are also forgetting that there is more than one form of strength. Thing about the inquisitor. He doesn't make his way to the top by dueling every single person he meets. He manipulates power, works the system. Intellect is far more powerful than just raw strength, and the strength of will to temper passion, and to know when to unleash it is just as valuable as the passion itself. Example: Malgus. He has power, lots and lots of physical power, but as far as actual planning goes he was short sighted, hard headed, divisive, and is now dead. Opposite extreme, the emperor. When was the last time he fought anyone? And yet he runs the whole empire from beyond the grave.

[Sideblaze]

Honor is relative. It means one thing for a sith, another for a jedi. I think you know what I mean by honorable. Instead of assassination, just fight it out face to face. There would be no rules, fight to the death, to the victor go the spoils. The sith way. A true Sith should welcome the opportunity to publicly dispose of an enemy.

 

I would argue them more honorable than Jedi in some regards.

[StarMagus]

Your lack of imagination disturbs me.

 

What we have now is civil war with sith lords private armies slaughtering each other over petty rivalries. Battle cruisers, fighters, infantry, vehicles, everything wasted when a simple 1v1 fight would settle it.

 

When is that happening? Or rather how do you think that will be any better under your system.

 

The second somebody decides they have a bigger army then somebody else they have no reason to fight them in the Duel. Also the idea that just because you can swing a light saber better then other people doesn't mean you can actually lead anything.

[Frenesi]

You know how inquisitor's master deals with her own superior? After this, she ends up darth with pretty scary reputation. So how is assassination bad?

[Bleeters]

You know how inquisitor's master deals with her own superior? After this, she ends up darth with pretty scary reputation. So how is assassination bad?

To be fair, Zash's political wrangling put her firmly in the crosshairs of, at the very least, one Dark Council member. I was under the distinct impression Thanaton was on the verge of crushing her like a bug, and she had neither the powerbase nor political muscle to oppose him.

 

I mean it didn't really matter in her case because she wasn't planning to, shall we say, stick around for much longer anyway. She just needed Skotia out of the picture to get access to his research and the Dark Temple to facilitate her ritual. It was pretty reckless of her otherwise, though.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Bleeters

[AlexDougherty]

There is a simple solution to the eternal problem of self-destructive Sith in-fighting.

 

1v1 RITUAL COMBAT

 

Accept the violent nature of the Sith, celebrate and embrace it. Allow them to settle their differences in tightly-controlled 1v1 ritual combat. This should be honorable combat, allow only Sith who have completed their training to participate. Make the penalty for fighting outside of the arena, death and dishonor. Allow Sith to challenge their way all the way up to emperor under strict conditions. Ritual combat to determine succession and to settle differences is consistent with Sith teachings of the survival of the strongest and most powerful, while eliminating the weak from their ranks.

 

The Sith and the Empire remain strong but can no longer plunge the Sith Empire into civil war to settle their differences. The need for the phony rule of two is eliminated.

 

If you are looking for a precedent for this in the canon refer to the old republic novels. You will note that there is ritual combat at the Sith training academy on Korriban. I am baffled that it does not continue with the sith themselves.

 

This will work well in the lore and in the game. The empire survives and the Sith can continue to kill each other though in a much more controlled fashion. Make it happen Lucas Arts (Disney)/Bioware.

 

Sith have rules like this, they just don't follow them. Currently it's illegal for sith to kill each other, punishable by death, they do it anyway.

 

They have a ritualised combat called Kaggath, were two sith agree on an arena, and can bring any and all allies to destroy one and other. This allows them to kill without legal repercussions.

 

What you are proposing is something between the two, which I suspect already exists, it's just that they don't use it, they refuse to limit themselves, sith this allows Sith too stupid to gain allies to prosper, and Sith detest these idiotic thugs.

[Samaul]

You know how inquisitor's master deals with her own superior? After this, she ends up darth with pretty scary reputation. So how is assassination bad?

 

A victory in a public ritual combat would make a much bigger statement.